Mad Marketing Podcast with The Sales Lion Begins!

What do the following people have in common?:

A landscape designer

An engine building company

A perfectionist

A journalist turned marketer

A musician in South Africa

Well, if you guessed they are all subjects of my first podcast– Mad Marketing with The Sales Lion–then you’re right. In fact, each one of these folks emailed me recently with their inbound and content marketing struggles, and in this podcast we’ll be taking a dive into each scenario so as to discuss how to overcome the real-life issues of each.

Real People, Real Problems, Real Answers–Fast and Furious

You know, there are a lot of podcasts coming out these days and all have their unique “shtick” and style. Many are the 1-on-1 interview format, which is great, but I’ve elected to go a different route and discuss as many “real life” marketing problems and solutions as possible with each episode.

As mentioned earlier, these are YOUR questions and with the amounts coming to my inbox these days, discussion of unique, diverse, and interesting content won’t be a problem at all going forward.

So that everyone is aware, the podcast is now available at iTunes and can also be downloaded at the top of this post. Although I won’t be transcribing each podcast (due to time), those of you that prefer watching my goofy mug in action will have each episode available on YouTube and showing via video here on TSL the day each episode comes out.

For those of you that take the time to watch the video or listen to the audio, I want to point out a few important notes:

1. The audio quality is good, but not perfect (something I’m working on).

2. The content is very real and diverse, without a lot of fluff, and certainly relatable to small and large businesses. This being said, I know I’ll do a better job with my Q and A format/presentation style with each new episode.

3. Along with #2, there is almost no small talk (I don’t want to waste any of your time). This episode has a 2 minute introduction before I jump into the content, but that’s only because it’s the first one. Going forward, you can expect immediate content, discussion, and value within the first 30 seconds of the podcast.

4. For those watching video, you’ll see that all of this was done onone take, which means it’s imperfect and real—just like it would be if you and I were chatting in person. In the future as I continue to loosen up and have even more fun, I think the video segments and podcast in general will be a blast.

My point in saying these things is that although it’s not yet a perfect system, it’s a start, and that’s really one of the great keys to marketing, blogging, video, and life in general. Sometimes we just need to launch that baby. Ship it. Push publish. Correct as you go.

You know the deal, we’ve discussed it time and time again.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIT4T_SGOXQ[/youtube]

But thanks to all of you for listening and I certainly hope you’ll subscribe to the podcast on iTunes as well as send me any questions you’d like to discuss on the show in the future. 🙂

First of all, truly happy for you that you got this started! It’s awesome! I’m loving the Q & A, the reality/few edits format because it allows your true energy to shine through and that’s a big part of what makes you you 🙂

Next, a question: In the case of the woman with the landscaping biz. She asked how can she convince non-gardeners to read her blog/come to the store etc. You did say others may advise her differently than you might.

Wouldn’t a more efficient strategy be to focus on those who already love gardening vs. convincing those who don’t? There must be enough gardeners in her area to support a store (if not, that’s a whole other issue). Finding the interested traffic and getting in front of it, is usually a lot less stressful than convincing someone who has little interest. I do agree with you though that as she does this, friends may convince friends etc. I’d say let them be the evangelists to the unconverted for the most part at least at the start.

Agree/disagree?

Lastly, one suggestion. I’ve seen others do this with a podcast and I think it’s helpful. While you don’t have to do a full transcript here, how about you do a “Mentioned in this podcast” list. For example, you mention Marketing Profs and Six Pixels and suggest people look them up. Popping the links here make it easier in case people couldn’t take notes, don’t know how to spell something etc. Just a thought.

Again, luv it, can’t wait for the next one.

A blessed Holy Week & Easter to you & your family.

April 3, 2012 at 10:27 am

Eric Pratum

Congrats on the launch, buddy. I look forward to being able to subscribe in iTunes.

April 3, 2012 at 10:40 am

Brankica U.

Totally excited you are launching this, looking forward to listening to it since I am listening to more and more podcasts. As soon as it is on iTunes let us know, I will want to give it some starts 🙂

Maybe you can have it transcribed. It’s very cheap these days and runs about $1 per minute. Or you can list key takeaways with bullet points at certain times.

Hope that helps. Being a videographer, video is a hung undertaking. So congrats!

April 3, 2012 at 11:14 am

Rebecca Livermore

Marcus, I’m really glad to see this launched. Seriously. Can’t wait to see it on iTunes as well! 🙂

April 3, 2012 at 11:16 am

Rebecca Livermore

Cheryl,

You gave some great suggestions. I especially like the suggestion to include links in the show notes to things mentioned in the podcast.

Rebecca

April 3, 2012 at 11:39 am

Shamelle

Hey Marcus, I first heard about you from the blog cast FM podcast. Really liked the long tail interview. Since then been a regular RSS reader here. Today, thought of making a special visit over here 🙂

Looking forward to the podcasts.

regards Shamelle

April 3, 2012 at 11:57 am

Cheryl Pickett

One thought for you Jalanda is that this is also being done as a Podcast, typically those run can run up to an hour or even more. 30 minutes in the online marketing world is actually pretty short when it comes to informational products or broadcasts.

April 3, 2012 at 12:01 pm

John | Married (with Debt)

Great podcast, Marcus. I love the video option.

My opinion on journalists is a bit different. I think part of the reasons newspapers are failing is because journalists have no voice and are trained to have no spine.

People are gravitating towards cable news because it takes a side. Right or wrong, at least they picked a side.

Newspapers haven’t figured out that there aren’t two sides to EVERY story. Sometimes there is only one side: the right side.

Journalists think balance must come in every article, in every sentence. I think balance is an overall thing. Maybe one day the Democrats are right, the next day it’s the Republicans.

How often have you heard a “journalist” ask a question like: well, Mr. Politician, yesterday you said “A” and today you said “B.” Did you change your mind or were you lying when you said “A?”

Now everyone reading or listening knows that the answer can only be either A or B. Yet the politician offers C, none of the above, and the journalist just accepts it.

I know it sounds like I’m digressing, but my point is: If a journalist wants to transition to actually building an audience, they have to learn to stand for something, anything.

Otherwise they are as thin and disposable as…….well, a newspaper.

April 3, 2012 at 2:00 pm

Robert King

Love the podcast Marcus. One of the main takeaways I have from the video is the issue of perfection.

I believe the pursuit of perfection can be paralyzing, even outside of blogging. Instead of taking a risk and taking action, a perfectionist will delay, delay, delay in order to make sure everything is “just right.” Just take a look at Axl Rose and “Chinese Democracy.” It took the guy 13 years before the album was “good enough” to release.

One of the hardest parts about blogging is the beginning. Once a person enters the blogosphere, it can be really intimidating especially if they are doing so to turn a profit.

– “What should I write about?” – “Is my content interesting?” – “What type of link building should I do?”

There are thousands of questions a blogger has, and really, experience is going to be the best teacher. Forget about perfection. Take a risk, embrace failure, and keep learning.

April 3, 2012 at 8:57 pm

Stef

Wow Marcus this is really really cool. I love that it is unedited. I’m very selective about which podcasts I listen to and which videos I watch because I’m a READER. I seriously want to consume 90% of my content written. Goes way back to when I had my nose in a book during all of my spare time in grade school.

This really hit the mark though with me because you’re unabashedly you. Nice addition to your content mix and I like that you have it in both video and MP3. On the video I like the background.

April 3, 2012 at 10:03 pm

Rebecca Livermore

Stef, I’m so with you on preferring written content. At the same time, it’s good to change things up a bit by listening, and we can pick up on things like personality in audio and video in a way that is a bit harder to do in written form.

What I was thinking about as I read about your strong preference to read is that the fact that we have preferences is a good reason for all of us to create different types of content, since different types of content resonate with different people.

April 4, 2012 at 12:06 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hey Stef!! You’re incredibly kind to say those things about the podcast. I totally get you being a ‘text gal’, and I also understand that there will be many regular readers of this blog that will not listen to the podcast or watch the video. Notwithstanding, I’m hoping for a new group of folks as well that may find this medium a better “fit”. 😉

Hope you’re having a wonderful week Stef!

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:08 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hey Robert, tremendous advice and comment my friend. You’re right about this battle with perfection. It truly kills many a blog, video, business, etc…

I’ll always be a fan of ‘fix it while you go’…

Thanks so much for stopping by Robert,

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:25 am

Marcus Sheridan

John, I think you’ve actually made a very strong point here and in looking at my reply to the email question, I certainly should have talked about ‘taking a stand’ and its importance for those that really want to stand out as thought leaders and content producers in today’s world.

My main point with the journalists though was due to the fact that they can normally do 2 things well: 1. Write 2. Research

Combined with the fact that so many can’t get jobs, I think it’s a major trend going forward.

Thanks so much for dropping by John,

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:26 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hey Shamelle!! Can’t thank you enough for dropping by and your kindness. 🙂 Hope you’ll enjoy the podcasts and keep up the great work on your end.

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:27 am

Marcus Sheridan

Well, I kinda had a little help from people much smarter and more dependable than myself. 😉

April 4, 2012 at 12:29 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hi Jalanda! No, I don’t hate you at all. The podcast and corresponding video are clearly not going to be a good fit for everyone, especially those persons that are looking to get in and out quickly. But for those that are looking for a lot of meat, I think this will be the norm once every two weeks. 😉

Thanks so much for dropping by,

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:29 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hey Bran!!!! Yep, it’s already out on iTunes, just type in Mad Marketing and you’ll see it…hope you’ll give it a review as well if you get the chance at some point! 🙂

Thanks so much,

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:30 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hey brother, that’s super kind of you to say. It’s up now on iTunes and I do hope you’ll find some value in the information my man.

Looking forward to catching up again soon my man.

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:33 am

Marcus Sheridan

Cheryl!! Dang this comment was great! 🙂

Yes, totally digging the suggestion to link to folks mentioned in the post….I’m on it!

Second, I completely agree with you about the gardener. My initial thought was the same–don’t try to convert the “non-believers” 😉 But being that the person asked that specific question, I decided to give my best answer…but in reality was thinking exactly as you were. 🙂

As for your thoughts on the podcast—thank you, thank you, thank you Cheryl. You’re so very kind to say that and it made my day. 🙂

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 12:38 am

Eric Pratum

Heading on over now to subscribe. Make me proud!

April 4, 2012 at 12:41 am

Marcus Sheridan

Dude, if I can ever get a voice half as smooth as yours I’m going to be in good dang shape. 😉

Good seeing you Randy, hope you’re well my man.

Marcus

April 4, 2012 at 9:05 am

Danny @ Firepole Marketing

Hey Marcus, congratulations on the launch of the podcast! 🙂

April 4, 2012 at 9:17 am

Glen Kohlenberg

Great job Marcus and a great start. Dive in and tweak as you go. Your 99% ahead of anyone else!!

Thanks Glen

April 4, 2012 at 9:43 am

John | Married (with Debt)

I also forgot to mention that journalists can do one thing that most people can’t – and that is write.

I do a lot of editing in my day job, and it is clear that writing is dying out, much like Latin.

I think that makes the Internet and content marketing an even better opportunity for those of us who can do it.

April 4, 2012 at 4:05 pm

Gini Dietrich

You mean I can now HEAR you say Dang?!?! YAY!!

April 4, 2012 at 5:55 pm

Davina K. Brewer

Marcus, you do appreciate the irony having your emails printed? 😉 It’s from a Someecard, but first thing I thought of when I saw you reading the paper emails; w/ my iPad it’s so rare I print anything these days.

Anyway… this was jam packed with goodness. A few thoughts:

Think I agree w/ Robert about ‘perfection’ – I’ve got posts drafted on our absurd expectation of perfection, how it holds us back, how we fear anything that’s not a sweeping success then dub it failure. It’s not just blogging but all factors of business; social media highlights it even more b/c little missteps and slip ups happen – and are critiqued – in the public eye.

Read something the other day w/ the gas/content/lighter fluid/spark metaphor. Think one of the biggest challenges I have w/ small businesses gaining appreciation for content marketing is a truer understand of SEO and the web and Google and social search. Never mind that if Google can’t find you, you ain’t in business. It’s the fact that if someone IS searching, it’s with a reason: they have a question, a want, a need – and possibly a credit card in hand. Be found, be interesting to those who need our products, solve a problem, make money.

Congrats on the podcast. Know I am overdue on a video, maybe one day I’ll get over my camera shyness. FWIW.

April 4, 2012 at 7:51 pm

Leon Noone

G’Day Marcus, A “talking head” is a “talking head”; even if the head is yours. If you really want people to learn,remember that TV is a visual medium. Even a good looking dude like you needs visual support.

Sorry mate. Somebody had to tell you. If you’d like some suggestions please contact me direct. Spontaneity and enthusiasm only take you so far.

And it aint much fun for your audience.

Best Wishes Leon

April 5, 2012 at 6:18 am

Andrea Hypno

So you’ve entered the podcast ring too! Well it will surely be different from the rest. Now I just hope to be able to understand it, but I planned a course in English this Summer. 🙂

Anyway the key points summary is a good idea.

April 5, 2012 at 7:30 am

Shelley Pringle

Hey Marcus, can’t wait to listen. Is it available for Android? Sorry if someone already asked that but there are just too many comments to read through them all 🙂

April 5, 2012 at 8:38 am

Rebecca Livermore

Shelley,

Podcasts downloaded from iTunes are MP3s, which are compatible with Android. In order to sync iTunes with an Android, you’ll need an app such as AirSync or TuneSync.

Rebecca

April 5, 2012 at 9:32 am

Marcus Sheridan

And this is why Rebecca Livermore is awesome. 🙂

April 5, 2012 at 9:32 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hey Shelley, I saw Rebecca answered you so I hope that helps a little and I hope you’ll subscribe and enjoy. Thanks!

Marcus

April 5, 2012 at 9:33 am

Marcus Sheridan

If you can understand my country slang Andrea, you’ll be doing well my man. 🙂 Thanks for the support!

Marcus

April 5, 2012 at 9:36 am

Marcus Sheridan

Hahaha Davina, I just like being able to crumble them up, as it’s more fun that way! 😉

Now, as for you and that video…. 🙂

Have a great week,

Marcus

April 5, 2012 at 9:56 am

Shelley Pringle

Thank you Rebecca and Marcus. I will be looking at the apps and listening this week-end. Happy Easter.

May 16, 2012 at 7:32 pm

Mark Mathson

Hey cool Marcus! I was surprised to see this, but not surprised that you are doing it. Way to go! Just added this to my podcast subscriptions!

I like the video + audio podcast style.

May 18, 2012 at 12:02 am

Marcus Sheridan

Thanks Mark, really appreciate it man. I don’t think I’m going to continue with the videos simply because I’m finding I’m going to be doing a lot of these on the road and sometime spur of the moment (due to time constraints), so I will likely just go audio here forward, but it’s something that I’m really enjoying, and hope it will catch hold with podcast listeners out there.

Hope you’re doing well sir,

marcus

June 3, 2012 at 9:24 am

Jeff Irving

So stoked you’ve started podcasting Marcus. I’ve been looking for more good drive-time listening. Thank you.